Best Practices in Lead Nurturing
When you start dating someone, it’s unlikely that they’ll fall head over heels for you right away. Instead, it takes time to get the other person to warm up to you, and this happens through going on dates, sharing kind and honest words, and experiencing meaningful moments together. The process of lead nurturing is quite similar, though probably less romantic. Nurturing leads requires patience and tact, along with some creativity.
What is it?
First, let’s answer the question of utmost importance to this post: What is lead nurturing? Micky Long, vice president and practice director of lead nurturing at integrated B2B public relations and marketing consultancy Arketi Group, has a helpful definition:
“Lead nurturing is the process of engaging with a somewhat qualified prospect over time as the prospect moves along the buying process, providing regular interactions of an increasingly focused nature to ultimately convince the prospect of the value of your solution.”
Long emphasizes that following the buyer’s process is the key, meaning that marketers must engage in a way that “delivers the right information at the right time to keep the prospect engaged without them feeling pressured. This is the dating-ritual analogy.”
How do you do it?
Knowing when to convey the right information at the right time requires an understanding of where prospects and customers are in the customer lifecycle by observing their behavior (e.g., email interactions, Web visits, etc.). “Monitor prospect behavior for changes,” Long says. “For example, if a prospect suddenly starts visiting your website and spending significant time there, it may signal an accelerated time schedule.”
When it comes to the actual content sent to prospects, Jason Penta, vice president of client services for mobile advertising company Pontiflex, offers three important must-do’s:
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